Why it’s so hard to find other musicians to play with
I honestly have been struggling a lot this year and also in past years because it’s always been a dream of mine to be in (at least) a relatively successful band that writes original music. I’ve written songs and I’ve worked on things with people only to find that they’re not really interested in taking things seriously and wanting to make music for a living. It feels like that in my area, anyway. The local band has sort of...ceased to exist in a way. Which is really sad, because for a Chicago native like me, there are a lot of bands to look up to and aspire to when it comes to mainstream success (or even underground success--metal anyone?)
I used to really beat myself up about wanting a band and I have even felt more recently that I’ll never be able to fulfill this dream. Since I’ve spent 15 years singing and focusing on that, I haven’t really had the opportunity to learn instruments. But as of late, I’ve been learning keys as well as how to use programs like Ableton to program instrumentals (if you haven’t heard my cover of Dead Horse, go listen now! That’s what I used) and this type of thing has really given me the freedom I feel I’ve always wanted and needed. The truth is, I still want to play in a band, but with the new found passions I’ve found in making beats and learning an instrument, I might just be okay alone.
When I was young the bands didn’t want me to play with them because I was a girl. And now I’m an adult an I’ve proven myself as a performer. But now there aren’t really local bands to play with. I wonder with the pandemic if that was the nail in the coffin for the local scene. I believe the tribute/cover band scene will continue to thrive long after the pandemic is done. But with the lack of musicians coming out and forming bands in the area, I worry that I might be searching for a lot longer than I ever anticipated.
Truth be told, I think that most people recognize that there’s no money in creative genres that require a lot of musicianship, and that it’s an uphill climb, because the current state of the music industry has made it easy for people to be successful while knowing very little about music. We hire a pretty face and then hire ghost writers to make all the material, because we’re more concerned with a brand and with marketing than we are with artistry. That’s not to say these artists don’t have their place, because they certainly do--but the internet makes it possible for truly anyone to become famous. Why would I spend all my time writing and putting my heart and soul into a song when I could make a Sound Cloud rap for shock value, go viral and be a sensation tomorrow? Anyway... if you’re out there and you know an original band looking for a singer and future keyboardist--let a bitch know.
